Alocasia plant named ‘Tiny Dancers’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Alocasia  plant named ‘Tiny Dancers’ that is characterized by its very dwarf plant habit, its leaves that are uniquely teardrop in shape, its long, delicate petioles, its significantly increased number of leaves at maturity than either of its parents, and its inability to bloom or set seed.

Botanical classification: Alocasia brisbanensis×Alocasia odora.

Cultivar designation: ‘Tiny Dancers’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, Alocasia ‘Tiny Dancers’, relates to a new anddistinct interspecific hybrid of Alocasia, hereinafter referred to byits cultivar name, ‘Tiny Dancers’. ‘Tiny Dancers’ is a new tropicalplant used as a landscape and container plant.

The new cultivar was derived from a controlled breeding programconducted by the Inventor at his nursery in Florida City, Fla., USA.‘Tiny Dancers’ arose from a cross make in 2009 between an unnamed plantof Alocasia brisbanensis as the female parent and an unnamed plant ofAlocasia odora as the male parent. ‘Tiny Dancers’ was selected as asingle unique plant in 2010 from amongst the seedlings derived from theabove cross.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished bydivision by the Inventor in Florida City, Fla. in 2011. Asexualpropagation of ‘Tiny Dancers’ by division and tissue culture has shownthat the unique features of the new cultivar are stable and reproducedtrue to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Tiny Dancers’ as a new and unique cultivar of Alocasia.

-   -   1. ‘Tiny Dancers’ exhibits a very dwarf plant habit.    -   2. ‘Tiny Dancers’ exhibits leaves that are uniquely teardrop in        shape.    -   3. ‘Tiny Dancers’ exhibits long, delicate petioles.    -   4. ‘Tiny Dancers’ exhibits a significantly increased number of        leaves at maturity than either of its parents.    -   5. ‘Tiny Dancers’ is non-blooming and therefore does not set        seed.        The female parent of ‘Tiny Dancers’, an unnamed plant of        Alocasia brisbanensis, differs from ‘Tiny Dancers’ in having a        much larger plant habit, in having larger, broader leaves that        are elliptical in shape, in having a decreased number of leaves        at maturity, and in having thicker, heavier petioles. The male        parent of ‘Tiny Dancers’, an unnamed plant of Alocasia odora,        differs from ‘Tiny Dancers’ in having a much larger plant habit,        in having larger, broader leaves that are elliptic-ovate in        shape, in having a decreased number of leaves at maturity, and        in having thicker, heavier petioles. ‘Tiny Dancers’ can be most        closely compared to typical plants of the species Alocasia        cucullata and typical plants of the species Alocasia odora.        Typical plants of Alocasia cucullata are similar to ‘Tiny        Dancers’ in having similarly shaped leaves. Typical plants of        Alocasia cucullata differ from ‘Tiny Dancers’ in having a much        larger plant habit, in having leaves that are larger and        broader, in having a decreased number of leaves at maturity, and        in having flowers with fertile pollen. Typical plants of        Alocasia odora are similar to ‘Tiny Dancers’ in having similarly        shaped leaves. Typical plants of Alocasia odora differ from        ‘Tiny Dancers’ in having a much larger plant habit, in having        leaves that are larger and broader, in having a decreased number        of leaves at maturity, and in having flowers with fertile        pollen. ‘Tiny Dancers’ can also be compared to Alocasia odora        ‘Variegata’ (not patented), which differs in the above        characteristics for Alocasia odora and in having variegated        foliage and the Alocasia brisbanensis×Alocasia odora cultivar        ‘Bisbane Blue’ (not patented), which differs from ‘Tiny Dancers’        in having leaves that are more puckered and in having a much        larger plant size and larger leaf blades.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Alocasia, ‘Tiny Dancers’. Thephotographs were taken of a 15 month-old plant of ‘Tiny Dancers’ asgrown in a greenhouse in a 1-gallon container in Florida City, Fla.

FIG. 1 provides an overall view of the foliage and plant habit of ‘TinyDancers’.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the leaves of ‘TinyDancers’.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with thephotographic and printing technology utilized and the color values citedin the Detailed Botanical Description accurately describe the colors ofthe new Alocasia.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of three month-old plants of thenew cultivar as grown in a 4-inch containers outdoors in a greenhouse inFlorida City, Fla. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary withvariations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as ithas not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. Thecolor determination is in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chartof The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except wheregeneral color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Plant type.—Tropical perennial herb.        -   Plant habit.—Upright, stemless, very dwarf with numerous            leaves.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches about 45 cm in height and 30 cm            in width.        -   Cold hardiness.—Tropical, tender to cold.        -   Diseases and pests.—Not more susceptible to pests and            diseases than other Alocasia varieties.        -   Roots.—Fleshy (161D in color) and arising from rhizomes; an            average of 6 cm in length and 1.5 cm in width, 138B in color            with horizontal ridges 200A.        -   Propagation type.—Division, tissue culture.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate.        -   Stem description.—Stemless.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Cordate-sagittate (tear-drop).        -   Leaf division.—Single.        -   Leaf base.—Sagittate, deeply cut, curled inward.        -   Leaf apex.—Cuspidate.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, color: upper surface matches leaf            color, lower surface is 139A.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Lear number.—An average of 6 leaves per rhizome division, an            average of 18 per plant as grown in a 4-inch container.        -   Leaf surface.—Upper surface; coriaceous, glabrous and            satiny, lower surface; glabrous and very glossy.        -   Leaf orientation.—Held at a 45° angle.        -   Leaf color.—Young upper and lower surface a blend of 144A            and 137C, mature foliage: upper surface; a blend of 137A and            N137A, lower surface; a blend of 146A and 147B.        -   Leaf size.—Up to 7 cm in length and about 4 cm in width.        -   Petioles.—Held erect to semi-erect, about 9 cm in length and            3 mm in diameter and about 5 mm in diameter near base,            glabrous surface, 144B in color blending with 137B near            base, winged near base; an average of 3 cm in length and 5            mm in width (on a petiole 9 cm in length), a blend of 137B            and 138B in color, both surfaces are glabrous with the inner            surface satiny.-   Inflorescence description: Plants of the new cultivar do not produce    blooms and therefore do not set seed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Alocasia plant named‘Tiny Dancers’ as herein illustrated and described.